Picture Caller Line Identification (PCLI) systems and methods are provided
for enabling present and future mobile telephony systems to provide PCLI
information to a called party. A PCLI system that interacts with a mobile
telephony system includes a storage unit for storing PCLI information and
a processor that is programmed to detect a request for a call from a
caller to a called party, to retrieve PCLI information for the caller
from the storage unit, and to forward the PCLI information to the called
party. The processor may be further programmed to suspend completion of
the call until verification of receipt of the call by the called handset
to ensure that the PCLI information is available at the called party's
handset prior to completion of the call. Mobile handsets that may be used
with the PCLI system discussed above are also provided. A mobile handset
for operating with a PCLI system includes an input to receive an image
associated with a caller and to receive notification of the call from the
caller, and a display that displays the images. The handset also includes
a processor that is programmed to receive the image, to receive the
notification of the call from the caller, and to respond to the caller.
The processor may be programmed to send the image to the display after
receiving the notification of the call from the caller.